Patriot Park, Russia

Vladimir Putin strike again. Patriotism in Russia is at a high and he is now working on inspiring the youth. Welcome to Patriot Park.

Lunch consists of army rations, shopping is mainly for Vladimir Putin accessories, and instead of riding rollercoasters children can play with grenade launchers and clamber over heavy weaponry. Welcome to Patriot Park: fun for all the family, with a militaristic twist.

This vast military theme park at Kubinka, an hour’s drive from Moscow, was officially opened by Putin on Tuesday at a time of heightened patriotism and military rhetoric in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea last year and subsequent confrontation with the west.

Putin used the event as an opportunity to announce the addition of 40 new intercontinental missiles to Russia’s nuclear arsenal this year. He said the theme park would be “an important element in our system of military-patriotic work with young people”.

As well as being a “military Disneyland”, Patriot Park is also a conference and exhibition venue, and Tuesday marked the start of Army 2015, a Russian military exhibition showcasing the latest equipment, attended by delegations from dozens of countries.

The president arrived at Kubinka by helicopter and spoke in front of a military choir and balalaika orchestra, who belted out a patriotic number. Putin said in a short speech that the Russian military was developing several new pieces of hardware that had “no equivalents in the world”, including the next-generation Armata tank, first displayed publicly during a military parade in Moscow last month.

Time magazines headline regarding this park read: -Russia Just Opened a Theme Park for Warmongers Russia Just Opened a Theme Park for Warmongers
I put in the bit about Time magazine because I want people to think about the difference in our countries, the difference in youth. What will American kids grow up as vs. Russian kids? These Russian kids will have been raised with love of country, military and will defend their homeland. What about American youth?

There are some bright shiny spots, but by and large we have a lost generation or two that aren't up to the demands of living in a republic. Because the majority of immigrants seem to be illegal immigrants who have been taught the America was stolen from Mexico I see no hope there, as we have had in previous immigration cycles helping to keep us vital. In contrast, legal immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere are as patriotic as they come. Too bad our government keeps spitting in their faces by favoring those who don't follow the rules over them. I digress...

Our eyes will likely see the end of the most glorious chapter in human history. By the time we have experienced enough pain as a culture it may well take centuries to get back to the beginning of freedom and liberty. Enjoy it while it lasts and find a way to pass on the vision for a future generation who will have to take up arms and pay in blood for what we gave away for free,

Korg groking Grok​

"An armed man is a citizen. A disarmed man is a subject." - Anonymous​

There are some strange things going on in Russia... I am not sure if that piece about Russia being on a 'war footing' ((in news last week. Yep! war footing) for the past few years was posted on the Monkey Tree. And, make no mistake, they are hurting economically! The Ruble is in the toilet right along side other puny 3rd world countries currencies...They have little else but patriotism at this time...

But, Russia scares me for numerous reasons...the main three reasons are:
The Soviet and Nazi realms were almost identical in ideology and everything else...
Putin is from the Soviet era and I will tell you ALL Russians miss the Soviet Union, its power, being feared...They want it back.
America is not the America of 1941...

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from its government."
"An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject."
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

Russian conscripts have as many concerns about their country as US Vietnam conscripts had of theirs....in both cases, their war service as conscripts had them questioning the justification of unquestioning patriotism for the nations that had conscripted them.

Rules are for the guidance of the wise, and the blind obedience of fools. - unsourced

To deny your oppressor's, or your own humanity is to descend into barbarism. - V. Chelloveck

Survival is a battle for the mind...mainly one's own. - V. Chelloveck

A beautiful idea founded on faulty reasoning is like a turd wrapped in gold foil, tinsel and glitter. Neither are wholesome if swollowed whole! - V. Chelloveck

What is a religion, but a cult with a larger following and a veneer of respectability. - V.C.

Sometimes I wonder if I have raised my kids wrong. They said they would like to go to a place like Patriots Park. They are not hype sensitive over checking out tanks and rocket launchers. Yes, it is good they do not turn into sniveling, therapy seeking pansies when they see a bubble gun but it does separate them from a lot of their generation.

Every year, a lot of young men and women volunteer for the US Marine Corps. Of those, a fair number wind up in real-deal combat units. Over the last ten years (Bush + the dip currently filling the slot) 5.5 million have served in the Gulf conflict, and a very large number of those are door-kickers.